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HI, I AM JIM WILHELM.
THIS BUILDING ONCE HOUSED A FIRE
DEPARTMENT AND THE CITY HALL FOR
THE TOWN OF PONTIAC.
BUT AFTER THEY MOVED TO A NEW
FACILITY, THEY USED THE EXTRA
SPACE TO BRING IN SOME NEW
ATTRACTIONS.
>>> JUST ACROSS FROM THE WAR
MUSEUM IS A SERIES OF DISPLAYS
WHICH GIVE VISITORS A TASTE OF
WHAT LIFE WAS LIKE DURING A TIME
OF GREAT SACRIFICE.
BUT IT WAS ALSO THE BEGINNING OF
A TIME OF GREAT PROSPERITY.
IT ALL BEGAN WITH A SPECIAL
SCHOOL ASSIGNMENT FROM TWO
TEACHERS IN KANKAKEE, AND IT HAS
GROWN INTO THIS EXHIBIT WHICH IS
TITLED "LIFE IN THE 1940S."
ALONG ONE WALL ARE NEWSPAPERS
TRACKING WORLD WAR II'S
PROGRESSION THROUGH HEADLINES.
THEY ARE PART OF A COLLECTION OF
600 NEWSPAPERS RESCUED FROM THE
CURBSIDE.
THEY HAD ONCE BELONGED TO AN
AUTHOR WHO WAS RESEARCHING THE
WAR FOR A BOOK, AND AFTER HIS
DEATH, THE FA FAMILY CLEANED
HOUSE AND DECIDED TO TOSS THE
PAPERS.
THERE IS ALSO THE RECREATION OF
A HOME FROM THE 1940'S WITH
PERIOD FURNITURE.
TELEVISION HADN'T COME ALONG YET
SO PEOPLE GOT THEIR NEWS FROM
THE NEWSPAPER OR THE RADIO.
THIS IS A CROSSLY CONSOLE WHICH
ALSO COULD BRING IN SHORT WAVE
AND POLICE FREQUENCIES.
AND ALSO ON DISPLAY IS ANOTHER
WAY IN WHICH THE WAR AFFECTED
DAILY LIFE, RATIONING.
IN THE KITCHEN THERE ARE FOOD
STAMPS. EVERY PERSON WAS ALLOWED
ONE CUP OF SUGAR, FOUR OUNCES OF
FAT, AND FOUR OUNCES OF MEAT PER WEEK
FAMILIES HAD TO FIGURE OUT HOW
TO EXTEND THE RATION.
MOST OF THE TIME THE MEAT WAS
GROUND AND MIXED WITH BREAD
CRUMBS OR OATMEAL.
THERE WERE OTHER SUBSTITUTIONS,
BECAUSE METAL WAS NEEDED FOR THE
MILITARY, ILLINOIS LICENSE
PLATES WERE MADE FROM SOYBEANS
WHICH MADE THEM TASTY TO GOATS
ON THE FARM.
AND HERE IS A ROBE THAT WAS MADE
BY A COMPANY WHICH SUPPLIED THE
ARMED FORCES WITH PARACHUTES.
THEY USED LEFTOVER MATERIAL TO
MAKE LADIES' CLOTHING.
THERE IS ALSO A DISPLAY OF
POPULAR TOYS FROM THAT TIME.
SOME OF WHICH REFLECT THE
SHORTAGES TO THE PUBLIC.
FOR EXAMPLE, PAPER DOLLS WERE
VERY POPULAR DURING THAT PERIOD
OF TIME BECAUSE OF THE SHORTAGE
OF OTHER MATERIALS BROUGHT ON BY
THE WAR EFFORT.
AND AFTER THE WAR, WELL, LET'S
JUST SAY THAT REGULATIONS WERE A
LOT LESS STRICT THAN THEY ARE
TODAY.
FOR EXAMPLE, HERE IS THE LITTLE
CHEF STOVE THAT WAS ADVERTISED
AS JUST LIKE MOMMY'S, AND IT WAS
SINCE THE OVEN IN THIS TOY COULD
HEAT UP TO 375DEGREES.
CHEMISTRY SETS REACHED THEIR
HEIGHT OF POPULARITY DURING THE
40S, ALTHOUGH ONE OF THE
CHEMICALS INCLUDED IS NICKEL
AMONIUM SULFATE, THAT, WHEN
HEATED COULD EMIT TOXIC FUMES.
FROM 1944 IS THE LARGEST BALSA
WOOD MODEL EVER MADE.
IT IS OF A BOEING B17 BOMBER AND
WING SPAN OVER 77 INCHES WHEN
COMPLETE.
BOX ADVICES THE BUILDER TO BE
METICULOUS IN CONSTRUCT BECAUSE
THE FINISHED PRODUCT MIGHT BE
DISPLAYED IN A MUSEUM.
>>> WELCOME BACK TO PONTIAC AND
THE MOST PHOTOGRAPHED MURAL IN
TOWN.
IT IS ON THE BACK OF THE
BUILDING WHERE WE BEGAN OUR
TOUR.
THE MUSEUM WHICH ARCHIVES THE
PEOPLE AND THE PLACES IN
ILLINOIS WHICH MAKE ROUTE 66 THE
ROAD TO TRAVEL.
THEIR'S ARE A FEW OF THE STORIES
THAT CAN BE FOUND HERE.
ABOVE, MUSEUM PRESERVES THE
HISTORY OF SACRIFICES BY
INDIVIDUALS IN NAME OF FREEDOM
AND COUNTRY.
AND THERE IS ALSO LIFE IN THE
40S, REMINDING VISITORS OF LIFE
ON THE HOMEFRONT.
FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE
PLACES WE VISIT IN PONTIAC,
CONTACT THE PONTIAC TOURISM
OFFICE AT (815)844-5847 OR GO TO
THEIR WEB SITE AT
WWW.VISITPONTIAC.ORG.
TO REACH THE ANDERSON JAPANESE
GARDENS CALL (815)229-9390 OR
WWW.ANDERSONGARDENS.ORG.
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE SHAWNEE
BLUFFS CANOPY TOUR, CALL
1-855-386-9477 OR GO TO
WWW.SHAWNEEZIP.COM.
I HOPE YOU ENJOYED TODAY'S SHOW
AND WILL JOIN US ON ANOTHER
"ILLINOIS ADVENTURE."
>>> ILLINOIS ADVENTURE IS MADE
POSSIBLE IN PART BY:
>>HOW COME?
>> HOW COME?
>> HOW COME NOBODY ASKED ME WHAT
MY IDEA OF RETIREMENT?
>> COUNTRY FINANCIAL DOES.
YOUR COUNTRY REPRESENTATIVE CAN
HELP PROTECT WHAT YOU HAVE NOW
AND PREPARE FOR THE FUTURE.
>>I LIKE THAT.
>>WHAT IS YOUR IDEA OF FINANCIAL
SECURITY?
>>> WANT MORE ILLINOIS
ADVENTURE, GO TO WTVP'S WEB
SITE.
THERE, YOU WILL FIND EPISODES
FOR SALE, PLUS THERE ARE LIMPS
TO THE WEB SITES FEATURED ON THE
PROGRAM.
>>> ON IN, "ILLINOIS ADVENTURE,"
WE WILL TOUR THE MUSEUMS OF
PONTIAC WHICH INCLUDES MEMORIES
FROM THE 40S, FROM THE ROAD, AND
OF HEROES, ZIP ACROSS THE CANOPY
OF THE SHAWNEE NATIONAL FOREST
AND WALK THE GROUNDS OF A
PRIVATE JAPANESE GARDEN OPEN TO
PRIVATE JAPANESE GARDEN OPEN TO